TEHRAN – An Iranian diplomat who had participated in the Sochi talks on Syria said on Tuesday that Iranian military advisory forces will leave Syria after victory over terrorism.

Hossein Jaberi Ansari, the assistant foreign minister for political affairs, made the remarks in talks to reporters on the sidelines of the Syrian peace conference in the Russian resort city of Sochi.

“Iranian forces entered Syria at the request of the Syrian government in order to help the Syrian government in the battle against terrorism,” said Jaberi Ansari, who was leading the Iranian delegation to Sochi.

“It is obvious that once their job is finished, they will withdraw from the Syrian territory,” he added.

Sochi hosted talks between the Syrian government and the opposition in the hope of paving the way for a peaceful settlement of the seven-year conflict gripping Syria.

The Syrian Congress of National Dialog started on Monday and continued till Tuesday. The talks were moderated by Russia and Iran, on the side of Damascus, and Turkey, which aligns itself with several armed opposition groups.

Jaberi Ansari earlier on Tuesday said that the Sochi conference was a positive step in efforts to end the Syrian crisis, adding that the various segments of the Syrian political community were represented in the congress.

Ansari added that Iran called on Turkey to urge the different opposition groups to attend the conference, however it appeared that Turkey’s influence was limited.

Commenting on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Moscow, Ansari said that Israel is the main beneficiary of the Syria crisis and that Russia would not be involved in the Israeli scheme.

Also on Tuesday, Jaberi Ansari held talks with United Nations Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura.

The two sides stressed the importance of continued consultation and cooperation to find a peaceful solution to the ongoing conflict in Syria.

SP/PA